'GMA' Cancels 'Idol' Runner-up Adam Lambert's Concert; CBS Picks Him Up

UPDATE: The New York Times confirmed the rumors:  CBS's Early Show has picked Adam Lambert up for tomorrow.

Was "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert's disgraceful performance at the American Music Awards Sunday a career ender?

Such thinking might be a tad premature.

However, TVNewser's Chris Ariens has learned that ABC has cancelled his scheduled concert on Wednesday's "Good Morning America":

TVNewser has learned ABC News canceled the concert after Lambert's sexually charged performance at the American Music Awards Sunday night. Lambert led men on leashes, dragged a woman by her foot, and smashed a man's head into his crotch, all while singing his new single "For Your Entertainment."

ABC, which aired the awards show, received about 1,500 phone calls from people complaining about the performance, a number ABC calls "moderate."

An ABC News spokesperson tells TVNewser, "given his controversial live performance on the AMAs we were concerned about airing a similar concert so early in the morning."

As my colleague Colleen Raezler reported Monday:

But even MTV admitted, "The ‘American Idol' runner-up presented what might be the most NSFW [Not Safe for Work] performance in the history of the AMAs, one that frequently crossed the border from sexy to rather graphic, and which put some previous provocative awards-show appearances by Madonna to shame." [...]

Apparently Lambert has forgotten the backlash from the ill-conceived Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake Super Bowl half-time show which resulted in Jackson flashing audiences worldwide. [...]

With an album out today, Lambert will be making the media rounds, including appearances on David Letterman and ABC's "Good Morning America" throughout this week.

Well, as for the latter...not anymore.

Certainly not the way you want your debut album to be introduced to the world.

Yet, maybe there's a much bigger issue here.

Less than two weeks ago, Newsweek published a rather shocking article about how gays on television are actually increasing the public's intolerance for homosexuality.

Prominently featured in the piece was Lambert.

Is ABC cancelling his "GMA" concert an indication that the network might agree with the Newsweek article, and that Lambert's behavior is indeed counter-productive to advancing gay rights?

Whatever the reason, Lambert's flaunting of his sexuality may indeed be starting to get him in trouble, although not according to Perez Hilton:

But, don't stress for Adam, sources tell us he's going to be appearing on ANOTHER morning show tomorrow - The Early Show on CBS - and his song Whata Ya Want From Me has just been added to Z100 in NYC. A huge coup for the Idol alum!

At the end of the day, though, there is no such thing as bad press. All this publicity - which Glambert was hoping for but could never imagine would reach this scale - will only help him!

Hilton was right about CBS.

Exit question: Has Lambert kissed himself into ignominy, or is he a marketing genius?